With recent advances in digital transmission technology, subscriber television systems are now capable of providing much more than the traditional analog broadcast video. In implementing enhanced programming, the home communication terminal device (“HCT”), otherwise known as the set-top box, has become an important computing device for accessing media services (and media within those services) and navigating a user through a maze of available services. In addition to supporting traditional analog broadcast video/audio functionality, HCTs now also support an increasing number of one-way digital and two-way digital services such as video-on-demand.
Typically, an HCT is connected to a cable or satellite television network and includes hardware and software necessary to provide the functionality of the digital television system at the user's site. Preferably, some of the software executed by an HCT is downloaded and/or updated via the subscriber television network. Each HCT also typically includes a processor, communication components, and memory, and is connected to a television or other display device, such as a personal computer. While many conventional HCTs are stand-alone devices that are externally connected to a television, an HCT and/or its functionality may be integrated into a television or personal computer or even an audio device such as a radio, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.
As more and more services and applications are provided, subscriber television systems are providing media information to the HCT so that the user can view such information on the display connected to the HCT or a remote device such as the television. The media information allows the viewer to learn more about the available media by including such information as name and title and start and end times of the media. This media information has traditionally been organized for presentation purposes into a media guide format that presents the media information by time and channel only. The media guide can, for instance, automatically scroll the available television channels to present the media information.
Many subscriber television system operators, for instance, cable system operators, include one or more dedicated channels that scroll through the channel list displaying information about programs delivered from the cable headend that not only are currently on the cable network, but also are scheduled to be on in the future. These types of passive displays lack interactive functionality from the user. For example, the user typically must view the media information as it scrolls on the display and wait for either the desired channel and/or the desired time to search for the media that may be available for viewing. However, adding user interactivity involves two-way communication between the user set-top box and the head end, which comes at a cost of increased back office operation and additional bandwidth to support one-to-one, on demand content delivery.
As a result, there is a need for a media system that enables viewers to easily and efficiently locate media that they are seeking without requiring excessive bandwidth or increased operational demands at the head end.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.